National Marketing Olympiad 2016

For a fourth consecutive year in the Large Hall of the university was held the National Marketing Olympiad organized by the Marketing and Strategic Planning Department. In it took part 11 teams from six universities – UNWE, D. Tsenov Economic Academy of Svishtov, Economic University of Varna, New Bulgarian University, Paisii Hilendarsky Univeristy of Plovdiv, Neofit Rilsky South-West University of Blagoevgrad.

At the opening of the Olympiad attended the Rector of UNWE Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev, Prof. Dr. Simeon Zhelev, Dean of the Management and Administration Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pencho Ivanov, Head of the Marketing and Strategic Planning Department, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Galina Mladenova, Sofia Popova, Brand Manager of Aroma company, lecturers, students and guests. 

At the opening of the Olympiad. From the left to the right: Assoc. Prof. Pencho Ivanov, Assoc. Prof. Galina Mladenova, Prof. Simeon Zhelev, Prof. Statty Stattev, Sofia Popova, Assoc. Prof. Hristo Katrandzhiev, Prof. Boyan Durankev

“My presence here is not occasional. I remember 2009 when the idea of this event has arose so together with the colleagues from the Department under the management of Assoc. Prof. Ivanov we started the initiative full of enthusiasm”, said the Rector. “I am pleased that over the years the initiative has developed because in our times it is very difficult to create traditions”, emphasized Prof. Stattev. He also outlined the confirmed and prestigious companies which took part in the Olympiad preparing the cases for the competition.   

In the Large Conference Hall

“The decisions given by the students were at professional level. It is a game but with real dimensions”, added the Rector. He shared to attendees that the relation between the business and the science is implemented by the effective work such as the Marketing Olympiad. “We have already created a national marketing environment between the universities having Departments and specialities of Marketing”, outlined Prof. Stattev. According to his words the teams participating in the competition in the current year would guarantee a good competitiveness.

Prof. Stattev expressed his thankfulness to Sofia Popova and her team for the preparation of the case. “We will continue working over this contest. The UNWE is a prestigious business university as well as the largest one by numbers in the country. We expect the number of our students to come up to 22 thousand. I want to stimulate the organizers of the Forum to begin the preparation for the next Olympiad and turn it into an international one”, ended his greeting speech the Rector. 

The Rector is greeting the participants in the Olympiad.

“We have gathered here to detach the best student in marketing from the best ones. In the ancient Olympiad Games the participants had measured their physical strengths and skills but today and tomorrow you will measure your intellectual strengths and skills, your analytic capability, creativity, inquisitiveness and resourcefulness”, outlined Assoc. Prof. Mladenova. She expressed her thankfulness to the UNWE Managing Body for their support, help and care to encourage the creative work of students. She thanked also to the marketing specialists from Aroma because according to her words they had participated enthusiastically in the preparation of the case. Assoc. Prof. Mladenova emphasized on the strong motivation of related Departments and participants in the Olympiad. 

The teams

“We have prepared for you a very difficult case but it will allow you to exercise your creativity and show the entire knowledge you have acquired over the years of study”, declared Popova. “You will work over a real case which is also worked by our marketing team preparing to placement new products at the moment. We expect your decisions with interest”, added Popova. 

The presentation of participants

“This Olympiad wouldn`t be held if the universities having Departments and specialities of Marketing weren`t shown the necessary commitment. So I`d like to thank to all the colleagues who responded to our invitation”, shared Assoc. Prof. Ivanov.

After the official opening of the Olympiad students started their work over the case. 

During the work over the case

The participants in the Olympiad had the task to work out an offer of market positioning for the new product line – sub-brand of Astera and to make a marketing plan providing a successful start and perspectives for its development in the future. All teams presented creative ideas and demonstrated an excellent team work.

The eleven teams from the six universities had the following members:

Economic University of Varna: students were under the management of Assist. Victoria Stancheva. In the first team participated: Yana Karkova, Dilyana Kurteva, Todor Todorov and in the second team took part:  Gergana Petkova, Maria-Magdalena Tashkova, Alexander Arnaudov.

New Bulgarian University: students were under the management of Chief Assist. Stefania Temelkova and Chief Assist. Dr. Dimitar Trendafilov. In the first team participated: Kristina Ivanova, Anna Dimitrova, Iliyan Dimitrov and in the second team took part: Anna Tomova, Denitsa Stoycheva, Yordan Dimitrov.

Paisii Hilendarsky University of Plovdiv: students were under the management of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teofana Dimitrova. In the first team participated: Iva Mihovska, Radina Kalaydzhieva, Venelin Kovachev.

D. Tsenov Economic Academy of Svishtov: students were under the management of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marusya Smokova. In the first team participated: Veneta Petkova, Zhivko Gichev, Lyuboslav Petrov and in the second team took part: Lora Toteva, Nina Spasova, Alexander Trifonov.

University of National and World Economy: students were under the management of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Galina Mladenova. In the first team participated: Ivelin Ivanov, Alexandrita Zhelyazkova, Yoana Alexieva and in the second team took part: Alexandrina Gocheva, Teodora Ilieva, Stefan Grancharov, the third team included: Kristina Mincheva, Kristina Panayotova, Petya Tsvetanova.

Neofit Rislky South-West University of Blagoevgrad: students were under the management of Chief Assist. Dr. Dinka Zlateva and Doctoral student Radoslav Vladov. In the first team participated: Mariela Mitreva, Milena Treneva, Sabie Zakir.